A local Kenyan newspaper has reported that philanthropy tourism is on the rise in the country, where it is helping efforts to make tourism more sustainable.

Tourists in Kenya are being encouraged to donate to the local communities living around popular attractions; the idea being that helping the locals will benefit the tourist attractions around their homes.

The Kenya Business Daily said that philanthropy tourism is growing "exponentially", pumping millions of dollars into the local economies around popular tourist attractions.

Lars Lindkvist, a tourist facility operator in Kenya, said: "Tourism moves more people than any other industry and they visit some of the remotest places of the world which gives travellers philanthropy a big potential to change peoples welfare."

Kenyan tourist officials said recently that they were expecting an increase in visitors to the small village of Kogelo in the west of the country, due to the fact that the Kenyan side of Barack Obama's family hails from the area.